Hi,
Just when I'm skint my super reliable 2002 Honda CTDi has developed a fault.
Five minutes after starting from cold when accelerating around a wide bend in 3rd gear the engine warning lamp came on. The accelerator would not lift the revs above about 2200 rpm. This was true when in gear or in neutral. It's done just under 71000 miles. Three weeks ago it fully passed it's MOT (roadworthy checks + emission checks). Fuelfilter was changed at the last but one service so one is due at the next.
It looks like it was in limp home mode. It's changed now though - after leaving it overnight the engine warning lamp is still on when the car is running but the car will now happily rev as normal. Presumably there is still something wrong.
With little other info I'm assuming it's an exhaust detector fault of some sort. What would be the cheapest way to get any ecu fault codes read ? Presumably manufactureres have their own interface and comms codes or is there an industry standard (eg connector pinouts and codes etc ?) Might it be possible to get software and a laptop interface lead to connect to it ?
There is a section of the exhaust pipe that looks like it might be a CAT converter (it's about 8 inches long with metal thin strips, cross platted around the outside.) When tapped it has a slight rattling sound from inside. Is there an emission detector after the CAT (assuming it is one ???) I've had a good look underneath and can find no detectors so assuming there is some form of emission sensor it must be close to the exhaust manifold (???)
My next step is to look for any detector and test it and try and get any fault codes read (without spending a fortune). I read somewhere about car's computers forgetting any fault code conditions after the car has been started three times - sound like a myth or crap design ? I wondered, if it is true, if that is why the revs are now ok.
Are there any simple tests I can do to try and diagnose what the problem is and how to fix it ?
Thanks in Advance - any helpful suggestions would be most gratefully received.
Regards,
Bob